When a 440-foot yacht recently came into Seattle, it was met with some double takes from lookie-loos who had no idea that this was one of the largest private yachts in the world, and certainly the largest to ever come into the harbor here. And when the ship slipped out just shy of being here 60 days, it did so quietly, with few noticing. Most everyone was watching football on TV.

This boat spent about $1.5 million here in the 58 days it was docked, on everything from moorage to minor repairs and maintenance, to provisions and whatever the crew did when they went ashore. Big money.